Mark fawcett



M. FAWOETT. CONSTRUOTIONOF FIRE PROOF FLOORS.

Patented Nov. l9. 18879.

II---l fo-l cio

Wifiii Willi/i7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARK FAIVCETT, OF LONDON, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-PROOF FLOORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,'339, datedNovember 19, 1889.

Application led December 20, 1888i Serial No. 294,199. (No model.)Patented in England February Z5, 1888, No. 2,815.

To @ZZ whom it may con/cern:

`Be it known that I, MARK FAWCETT, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at London, in the county of Middlesex, England, haveinvented certain Improvements in the Construction of Fire-Proof Floors,(for which I have previously obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain,dated February 25, l 888, No. 2,815,) of which the following is a clear,full, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of fire-prooffloors, and has for its object to incase and so protect the iron orsteel joists or girders or other load-carrying material used in suchfloors, to dispense with the use of centering in the construction ofsuch floors, to reduce the dead-weight of such floors, and to enablethem to be constructed more expeditiously and economically thanheretofore.

My invention consists of a floor formed or constructed with flangedtubular lintels as the special feature. These lintels are made of reclay or other `fire-proof material and of various sections, which arearranged to rest on the lower flanges of iron or steel joists or girdersand to pass under the lower flanges of the same, an airspace beingformed between the under surface of the joists or girders and the lowerpart of the tubular lintels. Concrete is placed between and over thetubular lintels, so as to form concrete arches, which take their bearingon the lower flanges of the joists or girders independently of thelintels. The function of the tubular lintels is to protect the joists orgirders from the action of tire, to act as centering until the concreteis set, and to reduce the dead-weight of the floor. Dovetail grooves areformed in the under surface of the lintels to make a key for the plasteror other material of the ceiling below.

In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I have shownthe same in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is ahorizontal section or plan; Fig. 2, a longitudinal and Fig. 3 atransverse section of my improved construction of fireproof floors. Y

L L are the flanged tubular lintels, whose upper parts have asemicircular transverse section, while their lower part is flat, asshown, and furnished with lateral liangesff and beveled edges. The undersurfaces of these lintels are further provided with longitudinaldovetail grooves g g, serving as a key or fixing means for the plasteror other material of the ceiling below.

The joists or gir-ders J J are xed at a suitable pitch to give therequired strength, and the lintels L L are made of the proper lengths toslot in between the webs w Iw of the joists or girders J J and to reston the lower flanges a a thereof. The lintels L L are fixed in such amanner that their lower or flat portions p p are below the bottomflanges a aof the joists or girders, leaving an air-space S between thetwo.

The lateral flanges f f, owing to their peculiar shape, allow theconcrete, which fills the space between the same and covers the lintelsL L, to have a direct bearing on the lower flanges a a of the saidjoists or girders J J, this concrete supporting when set the flooringand the load placed thereon.

The floors are finished in the ordinary manner with boards, woodblocks,stone, bricks, tiles, cement, asphalt, and the like, while theceiling below the saine is formed with plaster or other suitablematerial. The j oists or girders can also be perforated, as shown at dCZ, making the air-space in the upper part of the tubular lintelcontinuous, in addition to the air-space S. The air-spaces thus formed,being continuous, constitute a flue or conduit for the outward passageof foul air or heat through the walls into the open air outside.

My improved lintel enables me to protect the loadcarrying material, todispense with centering, and to considerably reduce the dead-weight ofthe lloor, while permitting floors to be constructed expeditiously andeconomically.

Having thus particularly described my invention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In fireproof lioors, the combination of metallic joists or girderswith flanged tubular lintels arranged in adjacent rows and withair-channels formed below and across the said joists or girders andabove the bottom of the IOO said lintels, substantially as and for thepurpose described. l

2. In lire-proof floors, the combination of flanged tubular lintelsresting at intervals upon the bottom flanges of metallic joists orgirders, and Whose under surface is provided with longitudinal groovesforming a key or hold for the plaster of the ceiling below, with acovering of concrete to support floors of Wood, stone, or othermaterial, said lintels being provided With lateral flanges f, runningtransversely to the girder and situated below the bottom ilan gethereof, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In fire-proof floors, the combination of metallic joists or girdersperforated to form arranged diagonally thereto, substantially as setforth.

MARK FAVCETT.

Witnesses:

A. J. ELrs, FRANK HUGHES, 7 G Chancery Ldne,London, W. C.

